EP 2 147 333 A2 discloses a dose awareness indication device for determining an individual dose data of a staff member during a type of diagnostic or interventional X-ray examination of an object of interest with an examination apparatus.
During interventional procedures carried out while acquiring X-ray images of the patient, staff members may be subjected to harmful scatter radiation, in particular X-ray radiation that is being scattered by the patient undergoing the procedure.
Protection from such scatter radiation can be achieved in many ways: shielding devices (e.g. radiation safety glasses) may be in the room, behind which a staff member is “in the shade” of the scatter radiation; in a similar way one can stand “behind” another staff member, or even be “protected” by the patient. Taking enough distance from the scatter source can also have enough effect.
However, today no means are provided to guarantee that at least one of these protection mechanisms is in place for everyone. As a result, everybody is required to wear heavy, cumbersome lead aprons during the complete radiation procedure.